Underserved, rural, and economically disadvantaged patients with cancer who are under the care of an oncology nurse navigator are better prepared to begin treatment and require fewer services than non-navigated peers, according to study findings published in the Oncology Nursing Forum (ONF). Authors Williams et al. said that their results indicate greater patient satisfaction.
Patients with advanced cancer who met with community health workers between their regular cancer care appointments were less likely to require acute care and more likely to participate in advance care planning and receive mental health, palliative, and hospice care, according to study findings published in JAMA Oncology.
The oncology nursing profession has many different paths that allow people to provide care in various ways. Some may work in clinics, others in hospitals, and some as travel nurses.
As cancer care evolves, so do new opportunities for nursing roles. Oncology nurses in any role provide essential cancer care, including addressing disparities and social determinants of health and reducing financial toxicity. However, what sets nontraditional nursing roles apart are the populations they care for, how they provide that care, and how they’re overcoming systemic disparities to ensure that all patients with cancer have equal access to high-quality oncology care.
On December 1, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved olutasidenib (Rezlidhia®) capsules for adult patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia with susceptible IDH1 variants as detected by an FDA-approved test. FDA also approved the Abbott RealTime IDH1 Assay to identify patients who are appropriate for olutasidenib.
When a year winds down, we often find ourselves reflecting on our key moments, events, and accomplishments. Although our challenges from COVID-19—and now the flu and RSV—remain, ONS, the Oncology Nursing Foundation, and the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation are proud of serving and supporting you this year. We celebrate your commitment to the profession, to your continued career development, and to our organizations.
Along with outlining monetary spending for the upcoming years, the National Cancer Institute’s 2024 annual plan and budget proposal highlights areas of opportunity to advance cancer research, Douglas R. Lowy, MD, who was NCI acting director at the time, said in a September 2022 NCI’s director message.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Health Resources and Services Administration, awarded more than $5 million in September 2022 to 11 HRSA-funded community health centers to help underserved populations access cancer screenings and early detection services in partnership with National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers.
An altered HOXB13 gene may increase a patient’s risk for developing prostate cancer. The HOXB13 gene is expressed in the prostate beginning in early development and affects prostate cell proliferation and differentiation and androgen receptor regulation. When it acts as a tumor suppressor gene, HOXB13 codes for a protein that regulates cell division. However, altered copies of HOXB13 are inactivated, meaning that it does not function properly or does not produce the protein it codes for, resulting in uncontrolled cell division.
Under the Inflation Reduction Act, patients will pay lower premiums for the Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D prescription drug plans during the 2023 coverage year, the Biden-Harris administration announced in September 2022. People with Medicare prescription drug coverage will also receive better and more affordable benefits, including a $35 cost-sharing limit on covered insulin product and coverage for adult vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.